Vladimir Putin’s wife Lyudmila wanted end to marriage sham

THE wife of Vladimir Putin demanded a divorce after becoming frustrated with the pretence that they still lived together, according to sources close to her circle.

When the Russian president and Lyudmila Putina announced on television this month that their 30-year marriage was over, it was assumed that Putin — who denied reports of an affair five years ago — had asked for the divorce.

“Instead it was Lyudmila who wanted it over and done with publicly,” said a well-placed source. “Everybody knows they’ve not been together for years, and she became fed-up with the charade. She rarely took part in public events, so when she did, everyone wrote about it, about how she looked, dissecting her and her husband’s body language.

“She’s had enough of the gossip and wants to get on with her life. This way it’s official.”

Although the Putins were on amicable terms, Lyudmila had wanted a divorce